4 ms·
My aunt used fasting to reduce the effects of her Chemo when she had breast cancer. She swears by it.
by foxyv 4y ago
My aunt used fasting to reduce the effects of her Chemo when she had breast cancer. She swears by it.
- xorbax 4y agoHow is it distinct from the calorie deficit caused by chemo nausea?
- foxyv 4y agoAs I understand it, when you fast, insulin levels reach extremely low levels triggering most normal cells (Except white blood cells and brain cells behind the blood brain barrier) to switch from using sugar for energy and start using fat for energy. White blood cells and the brain are maintained by ketone bodies. This uses different metabolic pathways to produce ATP. Cancer cells on the other hand will continue using carbohydrates because they have malfunctioned. Most chemo therapies target "active" cells that are engaging in these carbohydrate heavy metabolic activity. Caloric restriction from chemo nausea happens after the drugs have already run their course. The pre-chemo fasting done by my aunt was done ahead of time to reach the ketogenic stage and hopefully reduce the impact of the chemo poisoning.